Playing Catch(up)

I've missed a few weeks due to...life, I guess. I know I'm tromping all over Staci's blog day (again), but maybe she'll forgive me once again! I have a spare minute or two and want to respond to the last few topics!!!

So, POST ONE: five things that annoy me. Strangely enough, I already covered this in my very first post:
1. Cursing
2. Bad drivers
3. Losing things
4. Soggy bread
5. People who talk in the theatre during movies

Five things about me that annoy others...let's see...
1. I roll my eyes a lot, so much so that I don't always realize when I do it. Usually it's in a joking way, but sometimes not so much (just ask my husband!).
2. I chew gum really loudly. Again, I usually don't realize it while I'm doing it unless someone points it out. I wonder if Cass has ever noticed it since she hates loud eating noises. Any comments on this one, C?
3. I'm not very good about returning phone calls, or even answering my phone, especially when I'm at home. My phone is usually in my purse, which inevitably is in a different room. Or the ring volume is too low and I don't hear it. I'm honestly working on this one. Since my cell phone is my ONLY phone, I know people need to be able to get in touch with me in case of an emergency or something. However, for the record, if it's an emergency and I don't answer the phone, call Adam! He's rarely far from his phone.
4. I sometimes tend to finish people's sentences in conversation. I had someone do this to me several times recently and realized how jarring it is, so I'm trying to be more mindful of it.
5. I correct people's grammar and vocabulary a lot. If I were using a word or phrase incorrectly, I would want someone to tell me, but I'm pretty sure not everyone is like that.
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POST TWO: Service
Even though I grew up in church, I was never really that plugged in to service opportunities. I remember a few times, like when our school choir would visit a retirement home around Christmas or something, but it wasn't an ongoing priority by any means. When Adam and I moved to Austin, we started going to our church, Immanuel (see this post). Immanuel places, rightly, a high degree of importance on service, both in the community and worldwide. A portion of the church's tithes is donated each month to blood:water mission, an organization that raises awareness and the necessary funds for the provision of clean blood and clean water in sub-Saharan Africa. For a long time, our church volunteered at a local food pantry called Micah 6 on Saturday mornings, but they were blessed enough to have so many people commit their time that they actually ended up with too many volunteers. So our church is currently researching new opportunities. One of the possibilities is Church Under the Bridge. The description on the website says: "Church Under the Bridge (CUB) takes place at 7th St and IH-35 on Sunday mornings. You will find live music, testimonies of changes lives, and a down-to-earth message for Austin's street population. Church Under the Bridge is a place where the Body of Christ in Austin can build relationships with those living on the streets. Volunteers at CUB tangibly demonstrate the love of God to others through a corporate worship time, the provision of hot meals, clothing, blankets and sleeping bags." We have a group planning to attend next Sunday, so I'll be sure to update about how it went! The experience of getting involved has been hard at times, and it's taken a little getting used to, but it's also been unbelievably rewarding. I am finding that to be true more and more as I strive to be obedient to God.

Erica